Putin, Xi focus on new world order as Putin leaves Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping set their sights on a new world order as the Chinese leader left Moscow on Wednesday, as he did not give any direct support for Putin's war in Ukraine during his two-day visit.
Xi made a strong show of solidarity with Putin against the West, but he barely mentioned the Ukraine conflict and said on Tuesday that China had an impartial position. There was no sign that Xi's efforts to play the role of peacemaker had yielded results.
As Xi left, he told Putin: Now there are changes that haven't happened in 100 years. When we are together, we drive these changes. I agree, Putin, to which Xi responded: Take care of yourself dear friend, please. The White House said that China's position was not impartial and urged Beijing to pressure Russia to withdraw from Ukraine's sovereign territory in order to end Europe's biggest conflict since World War Two.
As Xi left Moscow, Ukraine faced a new series of Russian drone attacks that killed three people and damaged some infrastructure across the country, shortly after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida left Kyiv.
Kishida's surprise visit to the Ukrainian capital stole some of the attention from Xi's trip.
Xi and Putin referred to each other as dear friends, promised economic cooperation and described their countries relations as the best they have ever been.
The leaders shared the view that this relationship has gone beyond the bilateral scope and has critical importance for the global landscape and the future of humanity, according to a statement released by China.
Putin said on the Kremlin's website that they are working in solidarity on the formation of a more just and democratic world order, which should be based on the central role of the UN Security Council, international law, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. In an earlier joint statement, the leaders accused the West of undermining global stability, and NATO of barging into the Asia-Pacific, but said that the close partnership between China and Russia did not constitute a military-political alliance. Putin praised Xi for a peace plan he proposed last month, and blamed the West for rejecting, as well as Kyiv and the West. The West sees China's peace plan as a ploy to give Putin time to regroup his forces and solidify his grip on occupied land.
China's 12 point plan doesn't have any specific details on how to end the bloody year-long war, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives and forced millions to flee.
The West tried to isolate Russia through global sanctions and Putin faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court.
China hasn't supported any of the moves and the West is concerned it may help Russia in its conflict, which Beijing has denied.
As Xi and Putin ended their talks on Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund announced a preliminary agreement with Kyiv on a four-year loan package of about $15.6 billion.
The United States intends to speed up delivery of 31 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine in the autumn, Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters.
Kyiv had clamored for tanks as well as other sophisticated Western military hardware as the conflict has slowed to a war of attrition with both sides suffering heavy losses.